Devastating Earthquake in Istanbul Inevitable, Says Mayor

If a 7.5 magnitude earthquake occurs in Istanbul, it could lead to the collapse of approximately 90,000 buildings, stated Aysen Erdincler, head of the city’s Environmental Protection and Control Department, on March 1.

This issue was discussed at the Istanbul City Hall as part of earthquake preparedness programs. “In the first phase, let's say, after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake, 90,000 buildings could collapse, resulting in 50-60 million tons of debris,” Erdincler said.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, for his part, announced that an earthquake of such magnitude would affect around 260,000 buildings, and about 4.5 million citizens would need temporary shelter. He also emphasized that an earthquake is inevitably going to happen, but it is currently impossible to specify when it will occur.

On February 28, Turkey's Minister of Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum announced that authorities plan to relocate residents of 1.5 million homes in Istanbul due to the risk of collapse during the earthquake.